Author:By Gregory Nesbit
If Manchester is the Bennington County capital of outlet stores then East Arlington is the capital of antique dealers. If you have never been to East Arlington, nestled in the hills between Historic Route 7A and U.S. Route 7, it is a Vermont town that hasn't changed very much over the years since Norman Rockwell was living and painting in the area. The relaxed country village atmosphere is perfect for the weary traveler to park and grab a bite at the local cafe and browse the Candlemill shops and sit by the gurgling brook that runs through town like a heartbeat of the mountains.
It is in this setting that the two buildings of the East Arlington Antiques Center is located. The Main Street shop is in a building, which was built in the 1830s, was one of Vermont's first hardware stores, and later the Post Office. The shop is owned and operated by Phil Elwell, who was born in Shaftsbury and moved to Arlington in 1963. Phil has been operating this business above the village Post Office since 1988 and who has joined in a partnership with Rick and Ed Hawley of HBH Prestain up the road whose family owned the old movie theatre around the corner which is now the larger of the two locations for the Center.
The Hawley family has owned the property where the Old Movie Theatre shop is since before the Revolutionary War. Between the two shops of the Center there are over 125 dealers renting space or selling on commission.
In talking to Phil and John Maynard, the manager of the old Theatre shop, I found that antique dealing is less of a money making venture than a labor of love for antiques. Phil says there are two kinds of dealers, "Some do it for a living touring the country trying to find treasures, others as a part time business to supplement their income. A lot of people aren't in it for the money, they"re in it to try to add to their collection of follow their interests."
I asked Phil if he felt there was a lot of competition in the antique market in the area, but he said, "the more shops in the area the better. Whether they be antique centers of specialty shops." Mainly because people will tend to go where there is a concentration and maximize their time shopping.
If you have never had the antique shopping experience it is worthwhile to visit these two unique stores-in-one. The historic setting of the immediate area lends itself to the experience. In talking about the energy from having such a concentration of articles from the past John notes that, "I have people from all around the world in here and it"s exciting when they get part way around, they just feel so good with the high atmosphere, I"ve had Sinatra tapes playing and seen people dancing on the other end of the store."
There is something for everyone at the Center, John notes, "One of the beautys of a place like this is the variety of the items, the fun part is that you can have some really old French furniture, this 1790 table for instance, and right next to it have something really funky." ALthough the two shops are different in regards to size and layout, they both feature a wide variety of items that are a reflection of the interests of the individual dealers who have arranged the displays. Some are interested in kitchen ware, with boxes of soap flakes from 1939, roller pins and egg crates, and others feature coins, jewelry or French enamel ware, and still others are an eclectic mix.
Maybe it's our need to retain our past, to know from where we have come so quickly it seems, that some find antiques so appealing and a treasure to be kept alive in our homes.
Like curators of the past Phil and John, along with a small staff maintain the antique center's numerous dealer showcases and greet people like old friends coming home for a visit. The whole East Arlington Village works together in their commercial endeavors and has formed an association to co-op on advertising and events. That is the difference that makes this little village maintain it's survival in an age of shopping malls and development that is now growing even in Vermont.
Perhaps that is the independent spirit of this village that draw people from around the world to visit. Phil says, "like the sign says, if you think the world is moving too fast... come upstairs and visit the past." The East Arlington Antique Center is open daily from 9-5 all year.
Take me back to stories!
Take me back to This Is Vermont!